PUPILS and parents have pitched in with their ideas for the design of a £20 million 'superschool' to be built in Crewe.

Coppenhall High School and the Victoria Community Technology College will merge to form one state-of-the-art facility in September 2009.

The purpose-built education complex will be home to more than 1,000 pupils and staff.

On Monday, architects, planners and project leaders teamed up with parents and pupils at a one-day 'design festival' to discuss options and generate ideas for the new school.

Pupils from the two high schools, as well as Year 6 pupils from local primary schools which will feed into the site, took part in a series of workshops at the Bentley Legends Club, Crewe, including sessions to suggest new names and new logos, and put forward to architects their ideas about how their new school should be built.

Ken White, senior school development officer for Cheshire County Council, said the events were a major inspiration for the designers and architects.

He said: 'The kids are the most important stakeholders in this, and we were anxious to find out what they want to see in their new school.

'It's something the county council has wanted to do from day one and all the pupils and ourselves found it a very worthwhile day indeed.'

Parents and the public were invited to take a look at the children's ideas.

Sara Randle, from Victoria Community Technology School, who led workshops during the marathon 10-hour event, declared the day a success.

She said: 'It went really well. We got loads of really good ideas from all the kids who came along.

'We need to make sure all the school communities are involved in the process, and the day was a great opportunity for that.

'This gave the children a chance to put their ideas forward, as the designs have not been drawn up yet,' she said.

Coppenhall High teacher Les Hodgkison agreed the design festival had been an invaluable experience.

'We definitely got some of our best ideas from the primary school kids who came along,' he said.